A Stepping Stone Foundation Blog

Check This Out!

FromExchange Every Day (NAEYC newsletter)

“If you need a short, credible, to the point case for the importance of early childhood education to share with parents, funders, or other stakeholders, check out “The Science of Early Child Development,” a policy brief from the Center for the Developing Child at Harvard University.  This brief shares five concepts that illustrate the importance of our work:

  1. Brains are built over time, from the bottom up.
  2. The interactive influences of genes and experience shape the developing brain.
  3. The brain’s capacity for change decreases with age.
  4. Cognitive, emotional, and social capacities are inextricably intertwined throughout the life course.
  5. Toxic stress damages developing brain architecture, which can lead to life-long problems in learning, behavior, and physical mental health.”